Violent Crimes Approaching 5-Year Peak

[Rhino]

FBI: Violent Crimes in U.S. Approaching 5-Year Peak
Monday, September 24, 2007

WASHINGTON — Violent crime rose nearly 2 percent last year, the FBI reported Monday in U.S data that show a slightly higher increase than expected.

The number of big-city murders also increased, by 1.8 percent — the same rate as homicides in the U.S. Robberies and arson also rose in large population centers, but the number of rapes and car thefts dropped, FBI data show....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297833,00.html

[Rhino]

Now, what the Associated Press didn't tell you.

While the rate of violent crime—473.5 per 100,000 inhabitants—rose for the second straight year, it is the third lowest total in the past two decades. Property crimes rates dropped to their lowest level since 1987.http://www.fbi.gov/page2/sept07/cius092407.htm

[Rhino]

This gets fairly interesting if you browse the stats. The crime rate did no go up 2%. It went up 1% per capita. 2% (actually 1.9) was total crime.

The numbers also vary quite a bit from area to area, and that has some interesting skewing effects. For instance, violent crime went up .9% in the "South". However, the "South" includes such places as Washington DC, which went up 9.3%, and Delaware, which went up 7.6%. I don't consider those to be "South". Another interesting tidbit is the fact that violent crime went up 17% in Louisiana. In fact, every category of crime went up significantly there, and they appear to have the largest crime increases in the country. How much do you want to bet that that has something to do with Katrina?

[Beowulf]

How much do you want to bet that that has something to do with Katrina?
Absolutely! Remember the police went out and rounded up the guns from legal gun owners? Of course the criminals kept theirs hence the rise in crime. If the homeowners still had theirs, that stat wouldn't have gone up near as much and we might save so money in trials for the dead criminals.

[dajoga]

Time for the return of public executions--execute 'em the same way they killed their victims.